Mid-year Report Card: Assessments, Observations, Informed Opinions, Predictions

The recently announced field of primetime Emmy nominations finds two outlets with both Outstanding Drama and Comedy series nominees—predictably, one is HBO which has Silicon Valley and Veep up for the top comedy honor, and Game of Thrones and True Detective on the drama side. The other preeminent outlet is one that wouldn’t even have been considered in the running a few years ago—online’s Netflix with House of Cards nominated for best drama and Orange is The New Black breaking through in the comedy category. (See SHOOT’s ongoing The Road To Emmy series of features, including Part 7 in this week’s issue for more on Emmy-nominated talent.)

So what’s referred to as the new golden age of television—in which creative and content development opportunities are attracting feature filmmakers, writers, producers and actors to the small screen—encompasses much more than TV. Beyond Netflix’s emergence over the past two years, so too has so-called broadcast/cable content found its way to even smaller screens as viewers elect to catch up on their favorite programs via laptops, tablets and cell phones, which in turn carries mobile and other implications for the advertising community.

This fall Facebook will start scanning its databases to track its users who watch TV shows on mobile devices. Facebook will then send the age and gender of each viewer to TV ratings measurement firm Nielsen to help advertisers learn more about those who are watching programs online.

The Facebook-Nielsen pairing is part of an initiative to bring audience measurement into the digital age, providing a better handle as to how people are using mobile devices and computers for entertainment.

Additionally, Nielsen has tapped into Experian Marketing Services to learn more about the composition and demographics of the online audience. While these and other developments raise questions and concerns regarding privacy issues, they could help evolve and inform marketers’ efforts to better target their advertising and reach prospective consumers.

In this vein, Facebook is reportedly buying LiveRail, a startup firm specializing in the delivery of online video ads to targeted demographics. Assorted other related developments, partnerships and alliances are emerging as industry sectors are on the move, trying to position themselves in a new, evolving era of entertainment and content creation which includes branded fare and targeted marketing.

Much of this is reflected in SHOOT’s 2014 rendition of its annual Mid-year Report Card in which a cross-section of industry folk, including agency creatives, share their thoughts on the present and future, and the implications of what’s transpired during the first half of the year. For example, when asked what trends or developments he would point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond, Tor Myhren, worldwide chief creative officer of Grey and president of Grey New York, simply responded, “Mobile. Mobile. Mobile.” Asked to predict what may be in store relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond, Myhren observed, “The convergence of different creative industries will continue at a rapid pace. Advertising sits at the nexus of Hollywood, music, Silicon Valley, fashion and gaming. How we choose to play with these industries, and what that collaboration looks like, will have a massive influence over the future relevance of our business.”

Gazing into her crystal ball, Angel Anderson, VP/experience director at CP+B, shared, “The line between physical and digital will continue to melt away. Smart creatives who’ve been focused on TV will try to use the second and third screen media to get beyond passive viewing. Really smart creatives will start dreaming up how we can get that kind of deeper engagement without the screens at all using sensors and smart environments that react to consumers actions and even subtle cues like facial expressions, pupil dilation, and pulse rate. When you know how what a person knows and how they’re feeling, you can appropriately design systems and products that address their real, often unarticulated needs.”

Fluid situations
While future prospects are exciting, they are not without their detours and pitfalls. Back in April, Xbox Entertainment Studios presented assorted shows—either given the go-ahead or in various stages of development—at the NewFronts, the event where online networks and digital programmers give Madison Avenue a taste of their offerings to stimulate ad revenue support. Fast forward just three months and Microsoft has announced that it plans to close Xbox Entertainment Studios, curtailing its development of original series for the Xbox gaming platform.

This sea change came to light when Microsoft decided to layoff some 18,000 employees after its recent $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia’s phone business. Newly appointed Microsoft CEO has decided to have the company instead focus on its core software, Internet and videogame sectors.

Still, several of the core Xbox Entertainment Studios team members will remain with the company to see through the completion of those shows already in production, including a live-action series based on the Halo game phenomenon, and a Halo prequel story executive produced by Ridley Scott. But the ambitious slate of Xbox Entertainment programming that was seemingly on the fast track just a few months ago has otherwise come to an abrupt halt.

Changes in plans and change in general can indeed come quickly. For example, today some 42 percent of American adults own tablet computers. Back in 2010, nearly none did according to a Pew Research Center report.

On the flip side, though, some change comes slowly—one the jury is still out on is the inclusion of more women in high-level, top drawer industry creative and exec capacities. Orange is the New Black shows how women, both as characters and a creative force, can impact drama, comedy and television. The show centers on a predominantly female cast and was created by a woman, Jenji Kohan whose content creation prowess entails such past successes as Weeds. In this week’s installment of SHOOT’s The Road To Emmy, editor Michael Turro, who is nominated for an Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series Emmy on the basis of the “Tit Punch” episode of Orange is the New Black, talked of Kohan’s influence on his career. Turro has three best editing Emmy nominations, the first two coming in 2007 and 2008 for episodes of Weeds. “All the Emmy nominations I’ve received,” said Turro, “have been for shows she’s [Kohan] created. These have been the best jobs I’ve ever had.”

Yet while Orange is the New Black is heralded as part of this new golden age of TV, will it help open up a new era of opportunities for and hiring of female talent? Clearly, there’s much room for growth as underscored in this week’s SHOOT spot.com.mentary column which covers a recent Los Angeles Film Festival session titled “Women Who Call The Shots” in which panelists—including showrunner Marta Kauffman (co-creator/executive producer of Friends), writers/directors Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone), Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees) and Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said, Lovely & Amazing)—reflected on various topics, perhaps most notably the lack of women filmmakers who are indeed calling the shots. In fact, prominent industry studies have actually found a decreasing number of female directors and execs in positions of power in recent years.

Survey
For our Mid-year Report Card, SHOOT surveyed varied creative, production and post artisans and execs to gain their observations and assessments of 2014 thus far. Many also shared their views on what may be in store the rest of this year and beyond. SHOOT posed the following questions:

1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?

A range of respondents answered several or all of the above questions. Here’s a sampling of their feedback. Full responses can be found at SHOOTonline or in the 7/25 SHOOT>e.dition.

Matt Abramson
Executive Producer
Cap Gun Collective
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
Cap Gun produced a web series called “Teachers” which got ordered to pilot by TV Land this year. It was created by one of our directors, Matt Miller, and a six-person comedy group called the Katydids, and edited here in Chicago by The Whitehouse. It was just a really fun and rewarding experience and it feels great to have a pure content project be recognized and get results. This has always been a primary goal of ours at Cap Gun since we started.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
Agencies are so in-touch with the brands they work on… they know the needs and insights better than anybody. I hope the agencies will be more willing to find ideas, produced content, submitted pitches… and attach those things to their brands. It’s not the way things are set up right now, but I hope that changes. Agencies will always have their own great creative ideas – that’s not going to change… and it shouldn’t. But being open can only increase the chance for success.

Joe Alexander
Chief Creative Officer
The Martin Agency
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
I just returned from serving on the Cyber Jury at Cannes. Worldwide, it’s already been a pretty strong year creatively, especially in film and content. I think my favorite thing so far has been Droga5’s Newcastle Super Bowl effort. Hijacking the game without really doing anything other than playing into the game’s marketing conceits and conventions – brilliant. But the most powerful single piece has been “Sweetie” from the Dutch agency Lemz. Using a 3-D avatar to catch online sex offenders is an idea that just leaves me in awe.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
What’s going to be this year’s Prankvertsing?” Hard to say. The most important trend I see isn’t in the ads themselves, but if how ideas are getting produced. The big production company is not going away – still very much in demand. But in-house capabilities and smaller, nimble resources are creating incredible work. Big production values can be found in small packages. It’s here to stay because the best clients are demanding it.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
There was a beautiful book out of Japan at Cannes called “The Mother Book.” Just blew us all away. I love the Skype campaign out of Pereira & O’Dell. The British Airways outdoor board that responds in real-time to planes flying overhead is amazing. For Martin, the GEICO ads continue to strike a cultural cord. Consumers are really loving our Oreo Wonderfilled ads—not as much as the cookie, of course! – but close. We just did a cinema spot called Mel’s Mini-Mart for Oreo Minis that we made entirely in-house. A lot of people said we channeled Wes Anderson. That was cool.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
I’m pretty bullish. There’s more world-class talent than ever creating extraordinary stuff across every platform. Of course, there’s a lot of nonsense, too. I think someone said at Cannes “a shit idea using a cool technology is still a shit idea.” So true. I believe we are in a golden age of possibility in the business. If you can dream it, you can make it. That said, there is also a huge amount of chaos – in agencies, in production, in marketing departments. The ones the embrace the chaos while sticking to their core beliefs will win. It sounds simple, but it’s tough to do day in, day out.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
You are going to get such cooler answers than mine – I’m pretty square. Ha. I go to the blog “Brian Pickings” by Maria Popova everyday. (brainpickings.org) She always posts surprising and inspiring design, illustration, film, writing and philosophy from the past and today. It’s a boundless resource for children’s books, especially. There was a quote in there today from David Bowie, answering a famous question from Marcel Proust: Q: What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? A: Living in fear.

Allison Amon
Partner
Chelsea Pictures
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
2014 has been an amazingly creative year for Chelsea and it’s directors. Maserati for Wieden + Kennedy, COD with 72 and Sunny, and the viral #LikeAGirl with Leo Burnett and Always, the first half of the year is full of work that we are very proud of. Although budgets are challenging we are finding the multi-platform approach to advertising is in line with our Directors interests and skills.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
I love the return to more story driven work.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
The Winter Olympics were the highlight of my year so one spot I wish we had done was P&G’s “Pick them back up” . The recent McDonald’s “World Cup Gol!” is fantastic and fun. “Mistakes” from The New Zealand Transport Agency is heart wrenching and so well done. On a recent flight on Virgin American I was completely captivated by their in fight dance videos. Chelsea’s Lauren Greenfield has struck viral gold and over 35 million hits with #LikeAGirl. There is so much creativity out there right now.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
Wow -predictions… My crystal ball says it will continue to be a tough but busy 2014. Many brands will continue to see beyond the traditional broadcast format. My hope is that Brands will see that they need to pay for quality filmmaking from talented storytellers.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
Is it silly that I love Uber so much? Such an easy app to use. I could not live without my KCRW app – news, music and The Moth Radio Hour when ever I want it. I also love the app called The Night Sky a stargazing app that is amazing for a camping trip. Call me old fashion but I do love Facebook.

Angel Anderson
VP/Experience Director
CP+B
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
We are past The Information Age. We’ve moved into The Experience Age, which is about sight and sound and connectedness. This changes the way we live together and how we interact with systems. Great work leverages how people move fluidly between physical and digital contexts when interacting with a brand. Chipotle’s Scarecrow campaign showed how a brand can get people to see a hard reality be moved to not only get more information but turn play into activism and a journey towards becoming conscious consumers in social media and in real life. Entertainment that leads to a conversation, that leads to action, and ultimately to positive change. Holistic thinking to solve real problems is valuable beyond just a brand’s bottom line. It’s valuable to humankind.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
The Internet of things is here and beginning to creep into normal everyday interactions. Your garden can tweet at you when it needs to be watered, your pet can be fed even when you’re not home, and all of your actions (exercise, sleeping, eating, etc.) can be measured and monitored so that you can live better.

Brands and products that can organically inject themselves into the conversation that you have with the things and activities in your life gain a sense of relevance for engaging you at the precisely right context.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
In CP+B’s Mixed Reality Lab, we’ve been working on a telepresence robot that lets us (sort of) physically attend meetings and collaborate from remote locations. We see this as part of an ongoing trend to offer people more tangible ways to connect and interact beyond a Skype chat or G+ Hangout. While this is for us to use internally, it strikes a chord because it’s the very essence of this modern world were we often need to be in two places at once. Products and services that let people be present in the moment while handling various tasks in a parallel context are going to be very popular.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
The line between physical and digital will continue to melt away. Smart creatives who’ve been focused on TV will try to use the second and third screen media to get beyond passive viewing. Really smart creatives will start dreaming up how we can get that kind of deeper engagement without the screens at all using sensors and smart environments that react to consumers actions and even subtle cues like facial expressions, pupil dilation, and pulse rate. When you know how what a person knows and how they’re feeling, you can appropriately design systems and products that address their real, often unarticulated needs.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
I’m a bit of an appaholic. Here’s some new-ish apps I’ve gotten into lately. Seamless – an easy take out ordering app that makes it way easier to order food at some of my fav restaurants that still have abysmal online order. Spark – video editing app that lets you string together little video snippets and add music for quick little stories. Nifty – This lets you share real world goods like a weed wacker amongst a few close friends in real life. Splitwise – keeps a running log of shared expenses for you and friends so that all the IOUs you rack within your group get calculated into the simplest form of who owes what, and lets you pay back your debts via PayPal. So easy!

Brent Anderson
Executive Creative Director
TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
The expectation and pressure for brands to be relevant in more ways for less money and in less time continues to increase. It becomes ever more challenging to find and meaningfully craft articulations of a brand’s soul. Scrappy and nimble become the benchmark. Marketing strategies are continually being molded and re-shaped by technology innovations. The most exciting moments of the year have happened as brands found the cross section of brand soul + tech innovation.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
The days of a clearly defined competitive set are behind us. It’s not enough to compete with other brands in your category. Nowadays all brands are competing with each other for attention and love. This raises every brand’s game: we are all competing with the likes of Apple, Google, Nike, Facebook and Coke.

The continual need to differentiate brands from one another, and to avoid conventions, provides momentum and direction.

But competition only gets you so far. Brands must also seek compatibility: with other brands, with cultural moments or icons, with platforms, with technology and of course with their audience.

Understanding who you can partner with to help you achieve your goals.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
TBWA work:
– “What’s in the box” (Nissan + Amazon) Taking what was previously complex and impossible and delivering it (literally) to the world in a way that could not be ignored.

Work from others that seems to have struck a responsive chord:
– Century 21 + Walter White – example of real time, and real-smart partnerships that make a brand relevant in real time.

– Always + Like a Girl – As a father, this one struck an emotional chord with me. Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield along with a brave CPG company shows there is no shame in being a girl.

– Finally, how can technology bring people together in a way that’s warm an meaningful. I’ve not seen a better and more effortless way than this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S-5EfwpFOk

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
I think we have moved from a singular, critical moment that “creates buzz”, “goes viral” or “makes a splash” toward continuous experiences that create an audience. Finding a rhythm or cadence for brands.

While it remains essential for brands to have a clear vision for long-term success, a brand’s future is dependent on its consistent immersion in the present. Brands that evolve the present are involved in the future.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
I’ve recently started using Waze as a means to navigate the daily grind that is LA. What started out as a purely self-focused means of finding the quickest way to work and back home has become a very shared means of offering of information to a wider, like-minded, shared community of fellow Waze-ers. A giant game of you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Whether it’s leaving notes on the cheapest gas, where a cop is hiding, what roads are closed or just keeping the app open to allow it “get smarter” I feel like I am contributing. Like I’m both “part of something” and “up to something” at the same time. And it’s an experiment in real-time. The community keeps the info ever improving. And it’s been very helpful on the drive home. That and the Hot Donut Lamp app from Krispy Kreme.

Nathy Aviram
Chief Production Officer
McCann New York
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
My assessment of the first half of the year creatively is that there are fewer “I wish I had done that” projects out there. And yet, there are some that completely blew me away.

Creative highlights of 2014 thus far are:

Project Daniel – printing 3D prosthetic arms for amputees in war torn Sudan

Water is life campaign

I’m a sucker for the P&G Olympics stuff

The Nike 5 minute World Cup animation

Sochi Olympics 3D Selfie-Installation

John Oliver’s HBO Show “Last Week Tonight”

Not sure, this may be 2013, but I really like The U.S. Air Force Collaboratory site

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Live streaming apps like Watch ESPN are (finally) incredible. Just about everywhere I’ve been in the past month I’ve seen people streaming the world cup on their mobile devices, (really cool to see a group of construction workers huddled around a phone cheering). And with that kind of interest, the “creative” mobile advertising will now follow.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
Kara Walker Sphinx at the Domino Sugar Factory in NYC – why?…. the setting, the scale, the story, the symbolism…..was awesome. “…..an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant”

Project Daniel – printing 3D prosthetic arms for amputees in war torn Sudan – The “I wish I would’ve done that” project of the year from me.

Water is life campaign – makes me ashamed of my bucket list.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
My crystal ball is very optimistic. It’s the clients that are now pushing us to be more creative and breakthrough. And they’re looking at themselves and asking what they can do to create an atmosphere that promotes better work. I think the feeling is that there’s so much content out there that the work has to be amazing to be seen. And so we have to be amazing.

Streaming app – Watch ESPN

For e-learning the only one I’ve ever used is Lynda.com.

Carissa Buffel
CEO
The Traveling Picture Show Company
2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
We have found smart and compelling creative coming from the smaller markets in which the production is also taking place. We are shooting a lot more in these smaller markets across the US that have grown it seems not only creatively with our agency partners but also with the quality of production personnel and infrastructure available to us.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
I wish I had a crystal ball! However in its absence, we have seen an ever growing trend of production staying in the US, albeit in a variety of markets around the country. We also find our efforts to secure strategic alliances (editorial/FX/sound/music etc.) in order to create a more rounded production approach that covers the specific needs of clients will continue as it has provided very positive results.

Paul Caiozzo
Executive Creative Director
Goodby Silverstein & Partners New York
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
Just 100 or so years ago, people used to hear their favorite song maybe once in their lifetime.

Now technology brings us an endless river of inspiring creative stuff that is almost always accessible. This year seems to be as amazing as all the other ones since the day we were given an Internet connection.

Some of my favorite artistic highlights from this year have been Jonathan Glazer’s film “Under the Skin”; Momus’ album “MOMUSMCCLYMONT”; and the Danish parliament’s “Voteman” commercial.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
I try not to pay attention to trends in advertising.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
The Newcastle work doesn’t take itself too seriously and feels wonderfully appropriate for a beverage designed to reduce seriousness.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
I guess I’ve never dissected a year of advertising. I just try to make the best thing for the right client at the time that makes the most sense. I try to do that in every single project, no matter how big or small, and no matter what the business climate is.

Alpaca Evolution: an amazing app/game in which you kill other alpacas and absorb their power. Truly a weird and well-written experience.

Duolingo: my entire family used this to speed-learn/brush up on our Italian before heading over there. Intuitive. Addictive. Smart.

Joe Calabrese
Executive VP, Director of Integrated Production
Deutsch NY
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
Gutsy brands continue to challenge themselves, taking risks with bold executions. The highlight for me this year was New Castle. A very witty, humorous and clever campaign, which, in my opinion, stole the Super Bowl without airing on the Super Bowl. How many times has a brand done that?

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
In the first half of this year we saw many examples of advertising that didn’t advertise. The smartest brands were brave enough to entertain on a higher level, seeking a deeper emotional connection with their audience. Chipotle did it once again, this time with “Scarecrow,” a perfectly executed educational journey with many extensions: an app, a short film, an immersive game and a robust site. AT&T struck a chord with its “Texting While Driving” documentaries, while Honda went all out to save a dying but beloved American icon: the drive-in movie theater. P&G’s Olympic Proud Sponsor of Moms did it brilliantly; “Pick Them Back Up” was a beautifully executed spot and struck a chord not just limited to moms. All of these examples proving once again that visceral wins.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
I love what we pulled off for TNT’s Mob City connecting with a niche audience. We challenged Twitter in ways it’s never been used before, anticipating audience behavior and responding accordingly. The simplicity of the experience played a key role – not getting overly complicated or fancy for the sake of fancy. We cut to the chase and gave fans a compelling journey.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
The first half of 2014 emphasized the growing importance of real-time communication. Anticipating, following, and reacting to trends challenged agencies to move faster and smarter, while trying to preserve craft and storytelling. We’ll continue to see this moving forward into 2014, only heightened.

Rossi Cannon
Executive Producer
ModOp Films
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
Starting a full 360 company has been amazing on every level: creatively it’s been the most inspiring start of any company we’ve experienced to date. Very often we start with a conversation about a standard production, which develops into a social/digital/interactive project. The thought process, the analytics & the creative unite and it is amazing to be surrounded with really smart people. So often you hear people talk about wanting to do integrated projects and we’ve seen those come to light here at ModOp. There’s so much going on; the energy of the different assignments makes you think on several levels beyond anything traditional. We love that.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
I would say being smart about what we do: It’s no longer just pulling images and writing a treatment on a creative board. We have access to resources that make our process not only creative but market and audience focused, with social as a key component. With social media at our fingertips we can think smarter, and create campaigns that resonate with very targeted audiences or a broad scope. Video over IP (like the ESPN app during World Cup) and the massive emergence of the Netflix studio model are not only here to stay…but are likely to make traditional models irrelevant. 2014 is the year these things have really hit their stride.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
The rebranding of a major product (still top secret) that went in a new fresh direction with one of the best agency creative teams around. They had a vision we executed and now we are discussing the other media opportunities with them. Other work I like – there’s a lot out there to admire – including Mick Ebeling’s “Project Daniel” which brings 3D printed limbs into war-torn Sudan was just amazing. We need more companies in the world to step up for humanitarian reasons.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
What makes me want to get into the office each day is all of the new people we’re meeting, and the opportunities to grow and extend our reach. We’re not just a Production Company, we run a full 360 – and I haven’t even touched on the games division. When you’re in the world of so many possibilities, backed up by like-minded people, it’s a good place to be. We make sure it’s not just a singular vision- it’s a collective – and we think that’s the way more companies are going because it’s exciting and, frankly, smart business.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
I think Google Play is the coolest of cool apps right now. I love music and the discovery of music is the key. The UX on Google Play blows Spotify away and I find myself listening to more new music on all my devices. It even works with my Sonos at home. I’m looking forward to more media services as they help consumers find content that’s interesting for them be it books, music, films or TV.

Barb Condit
Partner
Splice
2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Splice is seeing a nice trend of being invited to the table even earlier in the process of a project for our creative input, on-set VFX supervision, as well as our input on workflow and data management. The line between production and post is pretty blurry, and has made our involvement critical to getting projects done efficiently and on budget. If we can save hours of production with a simple effect done “in the box,” we can explore and make that recommendation. Or if there is a simple, in-camera trick to get a shot and save days of visual effects, then let’s solve that! We appreciate the level of trust and creative partnership we have with our clients.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
We continue to see a decentralization of both film and television production and post. Local tax incentives along with an excellent talent pool have allowed Splice to be very competitive in both areas.

There is a fresh group of production companies coming up that we have had the privilege of partnering with that are creating some excellent television programming. It reassures us that there is still good TV to be made! This year has been an excellent opportunity to grow our creative editorial staff, as well as our finishing services and visual effects.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
We are seeing more examples of production companies who have cracked the nut of profitable feature distribution. We are partnering with a few of these companies by creating a sustainable and profitable post model to support their production efforts and raise the bar for quality and good storytelling. This work will continue to bring in creatively rewarding work for our team while allowing us to continue to attract world-class talent to our roster as we grow our capacity.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
On an administrative level, it’s not just one app, but also the cloud that has changed our project management and communication across larger teams and multiple locations. For our artists, the incredibly dynamic range of powerful production tools has changed our daily workflows dramatically.

Our VFX team—who would have been “Flame Artists” 10 years ago, running a single box—now master and integrate a variety of tools to tackle sophisticated effects and truly collaborate as a team and not individual islands. Software like The Foundry’s HIERO has significantly changed how we approach every project to automate organization and streamline reviews. For a feature, it can save days of manual effort setting up to share a long shot list across a team of artists.

Jules Daly
President
RSA Films
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
There’s some truly great creative work now and it exists in a variety of formats. I feel agencies and creatives are taking risks again and pushing boundaries with stronger ideas within the wider formats. From big star driven stories, to beauty, to more emotional documentary work. The best work comes from a close collaboration between the Agency/Client/RSA. It’s really as simple as trusting the material and the team to bring it to life. For us, some of the highlights have been Johnnie Walker Blue Label with Anomaly, starring Jude Law and Giancarlo Gianninni, directed by Jake Scott; Armani Code starring Chris Pine from Andrew Dominik; Stunning conceptual Mercedes with Henrik Hansen for Merkley and some strong and beautiful documentary work from Antony Crook for Johnson&Johnson for TBWA Chiat Day LA. And also coming more unprecedented work from the ever prolific Opperman Weiss team.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
It’s not a new trend or development, but as there are more and more outlets for all of us to view content, the importance of the individual creative talent becomes more crucial and apparent. RSA is a company of storytellers, filmmakers and creatives who understand the power and potential of entertainment. Whether it’s for a piece viewed on a smart phone, a gaming device or 3D theater, our audiences want to be entertained and have an emotional connection. The various platforms have opened up a new world for us to share and create innovative storytelling and entertainment.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
I can’t not mention Jake’s Super Bowl spot “Puppy Love”. The response has been overwhelming. A puppy takes the world’s hearts in hand. I personally also appreciated Dante Ariola’s GE spot, “Childlike Imagination”, exquisitely executed.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
The market will continue to become more competitive and split in the ways work is being released. The time frames we have for projects is smaller and smaller. It’s more crucial than ever to be quick to assess and respond to opportunities. We’re known for strong production and are always ready to jump in if the creative is elevated; and whatever the budget point is IF the creative is worthy. The ability to be creative, strong, resourceful, collaborative and nimble are vital for success. More than ever I feel the solid relationships we have with agency and clients leads to taking risks and supporting each other to touch the unknown. These relationships support the outcome of the product we produce together both creatively and on business level for the brand.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
Although it is far from new. Instagram has inserted itself into our life at RSA with vigor. We even have a dogsofrsafilms page. Plus it’s a perfect way to track your directors 🙂 I also appreciate and support Kickstarter. I respect any platform that supports thriving filmmakers.

Craig Duncan
Executive Producer
Cutters Studios
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
I feel like there has been a renaissance of sorts in television programming over the last several years, with shows like Breaking Bad, Homeland and Game of Thrones just to name a few. In turn I also feel like our clients in the commercial world are striving to make their work just as compelling. I thought the spot for Hennessy “The Man Who Couldn’t Slow Down” from late last year was some of the best filmmaking for a commercial that I have seen in many, many years. A beautiful story flawlessly executed. I also thought the PSA for driving responsibly out of Australia called “Mistakes” was just incredible. I physically jumped the first time I saw it. So moving.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
We did a campaign for Always this year out of Leo Burnett called “Like a Girl” which broke on the web a few weeks back. The response to the message has been unbelievable. It has had well over 30 million views and counting. The piece speaks to the misconceptions and stereotypes about the way people perceive women… specifically the term “like a girl.” I love the fact that I work in an industry that has the power to reach so many people with such a positive message. It was brilliantly shot by Lauren Greenfield of Chelsea and edited by Kathryn Hempel at Cutters. I couldn’t be more proud that our company was involved with such an important piece.

Jim Elliott
Chief Creative Officer
Y&R New York
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
It’s been a pretty lean year so far, creatively speaking, but some highlights for me thus far suggest a trend towards interesting mash-ups between mediums, platforms and technologies. A few of these managed to sneak into this year’s Cannes Lion festival just in time to win big. The Social Swipe Charity Donation Billboard features a dual-screen billboard with a credit card swipe reader in between the screens, which instantly turns swipes into $2 donations while activating the synched video on the screens. It’s a perfect merger of concept, technology, physicality and do-good purpose. The Mobile Grand Prix-winning Nivea Kid-Tracker is a print-meets-mobile idea that lets you monitor your child’s whereabouts via a bracelet that you remove from a print ad, synched with a downloadable app.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
As evidenced by the Social Swipe and Kid-Tracker ideas referenced above – not to mention a whole slew of other 2014 Cannes Lion winners – now more than ever, it’s no longer about passive advertising. It’s about ideas that provide utility and value. Ideas that are purpose-driven. That DO something good, that enlighten and celebrate humanity, that make the world a little better for people. Ideas that matter. Ideas that somehow invite participation in that effort. Consider, for example, what’s being accomplished by Mick Ebling’s Not Impossible Labs – From their Project Daniel: 3D Printing Prosthetic Arms for Children of War-torn Sudan, to their most recent Brainwriter – an open source, do-it-yourself device that pairs with ocular recognition technology to enable the fully paralyzed to draw and communicate.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
To me, one of the most interesting and fertile brave new frontiers of advertising is that murky content space that resides in real-time (televised) pop culture events and moments. Take, for instance, the “Oscar Selfie” moment sponsored by Samsung during the Academy Awards in which Ellen DeGeneres handed her Galaxy Note 3 to actor Bradley Cooper for a group shot. DeGeneres tweeted that out and within minutes, millions of people retweeted that post. Product placement is nothing new, but I think we’ve only just begun to tap into the possibilities inherent in the live, real-time arena of ad-as-content-and-vice-versa. The beauty of these moments is that the sales pitch is seamlessly woven into the content. In a real, authentic and often imperfect way, no less.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
The economy is expected to pick up speed in the second half of 2014. Consumer confidence has bounced back and is now at its highest level since before the recession. Broadly speaking, I’d say that bodes well for our industry. Fortunately, I think this means brands and their agencies will continue to be braver with their ideas. Ideas that take big risks and aren’t afraid to fail. Ideas that don’t believe in the words “too hard,” “not enough time” or “impossible to pull off.” Ideas that continue to merge technologies and platforms in provocative and thought-provoking ways. And, of course, original content by brands will continue to proliferate in ways we’ve only begun to fathom. It’s great, no-holds-barred time to be doing what we do.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
On the serious side of things, I think the whole premise behind Thunderclap is pretty rad. In a nutshell, for those with something important to say via Twitter, Thunderclap is a service that helps amplify your message. It provides instant scale. Users invite their followers to support their Thunderclaps (which could include a link to a petition, a charity event or whatever). Those who agree authorize Thunderclap to tweet from their accounts in the event that the collective social support hits a certain threshold. On the frivolous side of things, I’m personally loving this new photo-social mobile called Bubbli, which uses 3-D photo-stitching technology to allow you to create dynamic, 360-degree spherical photos called bubbles.

It’s like no other photo you’ve ever taken. Or seen.

Diane Jackson
EVP, Director of Integrated Production
DDB Chicago
3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
It would be remiss not to review the FIFA World Cup work. Nike came out guns a blazing with “Risk Everything,” with Brazil and Neymar and a host of soccer giants on their team (Rooney really!) Adidas however, will ultimately win, given they sponsor both the German and Argentine team in the final, which lends beautifully to their line “All in or Nothing”.

Beats By Dre “The Game Before the Game” was epic and Hyundai should also get an honorable mention. However, the McDonald’s short film “GOL” and the AR game it supports are the true winners for me (yes I am biased but over 10 million people agree). No Mega stars but “trick shot stars”…all captured in camera. The film embraces the purity of the game.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
My first pet’s name, first car, street name I grew up on, upper case, need a number…ugh passwords. “1Password” has set me free from the three failed attempts every time I try and log onto a site I have not visited in a while. It lets me plug in all my usernames and passwords into a single encrypted “vault” that I can synchronize across almost any devise. Easy peazy.

The Drync App has become one of my favorites, even though it has been around for a while. I find myself using it more and more. The free wine app that lets you scan any wine label, jot notes, read reviews, share with friends, and purchase for home delivery, all in seconds. Very dangerous!

Loretta Jeneski
Executive Producer
Nonfiction Unlimited
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
Full disclosure: I sleep, eat and breathe non-fiction. No surprise there. And I’m biased toward good storytelling, which goes hand in hand with non-fiction work. That said, work for the first half of the year? Inconsistent. There’s been some amazing advertising, like the storytelling of The Long Glass for Tullamore Dew or the chutzpah of Volvo’s Epic Split, but there just hasn’t been enough of it, especially with so much potential for creativity in constantly expanding venues – from straight up TV to experiential. Some brands seem to be a little ADD a with all of the possibilities out there and are in too many places with watered down or derivative creative.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
There’s a real trend with brands shifting from messaging to storytelling and it’s all about “documentary”. Brands are stepping up and adding authentic storytelling to their lineup, allowing the audience to connect in a very real way. With the people whose stories have been portrayed and with the brand behind the telling. But talking head interviews and b-roll do not a story make. And the genre has seen both good and bad work. There’s plenty of great work out there though. The best of it capturing humanity with skillful story arc. When it works, it’s magical and shines a flattering light on the advertiser. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more docu commercials and content thru 2014 and beyond.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
Talia Pilieva’s First Kiss is a favorite – the real yet constructed nature of the work. The emotions captured are authentic, yet the situation is manufactured and that ups the ante. That the work is stylish is icing on the cake.

The emotional story telling in Stacy Peralta’s Scott Rigsby docu short for Holiday Inn grabs me a very different way. A very human story of a young man whose life was changed by a simple kindness. It pulls at the heartstrings. I love the structure and story arc here. It’s an authentic documentary style and connects so nicely to a brand.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
It’s going to be a little dicey out there, with agencies and brands navigating the plethora of options available to them. One thing will be a constant though – the continued move to create work that touches people regardless of the platform – stories. We’ve only begun to dip our toe in the water in terms of what is possible there. We’ve seen how stories that capture honest human emotions, can connect with an audience to a brand in welcomed way. The documentary short in particular is cutting a swath thru content messaging. People want to be entertained, and relate. And the multiple venues from Vimeo, YouTube Channels., Social and beyond will continue to clamor for more content that truly connects.

Margaret Johnson
Executive Creative Director and Partner
Goodby Silverstein & Partners
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
In 2013, Dove’s “Sketches” and the “Dumb Ways to Die” PSA took Cannes by storm and kicked off a big shift toward more philanthropic campaigns focused on making the world a better, kinder and more nutritious healthier place. This year we’ve seen that trend continue with world-improving things like Not Impossible’s “Project Daniel” and Chipotle’s new round of work—basically, things that make you cry or throw out everything in your refrigerator and start an organic garden.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Effectiveness and analytics continued to take their place at the awards podium, as they have for the past few years. But I’m seeing some data emerging that’s very encouraging. For me the bombshell at Cannes this year was definitive analytical proof revealed by a report commissioned by McDonald’s showing that creatively innovative, award-winning advertising generates more revenue for brands than safe advertising does. Proof, right there in the spreadsheet, all you CMOs!

So I think we’re going to see a renewed commitment by brands to push for more creative campaigns, which is going to be great for everyone.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
We made an app this spring that’s initially off-putting, maybe even revolting. It’s called Fart Code. But it helps solve a parenting problem I have and every parent I know has: getting kids to get interested in nutrition in an environment where most food marketing aimed at kids has no relationship to nutrition whatsoever.

In the supermarket, a parent launches Fart Code and hands their iPhone to their kid. The kid uses the phone’s camera to scan the UPC code on any food product and it will tell you what fart sound that food creates, plus the nutrition information.

Pickup in the press has been amazing, but more importantly, schools are incorporating Fart Code in their curriculum. Go ahead, pull my finger.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
Fifteen years ago you would’ve been laughed out of the room for suggesting that a successful restaurant chain would score a massive marketing coup by publicly upending their food supply chain to go organic.
Brands used to pay agencies to tell people what they should care about and what they should buy. But people have gotten smarter about the way the world works, and the brand-agency-consumer dynamic is changing. Increasingly, brands pay agencies to help them discover what people really care about and how to tailor their offerings to serve those priorities.

There are more opportunities to feel good about your job than ever. Used to be you could either do a PSA that might have changed the world but that no one saw, or you could do a Super Bowl spot. Now you could actually do a world-changing Super Bowl spot.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
NextDraft. For a creative person who’s pressed for time, I highly recommend it. It’s an app that serves up the nine most important and interesting things happening in the world each day, succinctly and wittily, and the tenth item at the end is dessert—a roundup of just the right amount of decadent fluff.

Julian Katz
SVP, Group Executive Producer
BBDO New York
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
I see more and more brands trying to branch out into non-traditional areas in order to engage with consumers. Creating experiences, entertainment, direct responses via social media. Entertaining via games, interactive video, personalized content, even informing by publishing commentary and producing documentary work.

But at the same time, some of the most impactful work this year has been fairly traditional, like all of the big “event” TV spots around the World Cup (well exemplified by the epic Beats By Dre “The Game Before The Game” spot). The TV commercial is far from dead; it just gets to play longer now, and to reach a wider audience online.

2)What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
I’ve noticed a lot of cause-oriented work this year. It seems like every major brand is coming out with progressive, inclusive messaging, especially focused on the LGBT community (as with Burger King’s recent Proud Whopper wrappers). And commentary on pop culture has become really commonplace. It’s amazing how many brands use social media to glom onto events like The World Cup or the Olympics without being official partners/sponsors.

I also see “social experiments” getting a stronger foothold. The most successful ones feel real and honest. As much as people loved “Real Beauty Sketches”, Dove was less lucky the next time out with the “Beauty Patch”. That was partly backlash, but it was also because the piece was less grounded, more high-concept.

What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
Probably my favorite piece of brand work so far this year was when Arby’s tweeted to Pharrell after his performance at the Grammys that they wanted their hat back. And he responded so awesomely (“Y’all tryna start a roast beef?”). It was an excellent use of social media on both their parts; it made Arby’s look hip and funny, and Pharrell’s response was perfect, he showed a great sense of humor about it. It could not have been more perfect if it was pre-planned. If it was, I don’t want to know. But even if it was all scripted, it was still brilliant.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
In the agency world, I see a tendency towards decentralization. Brands often take on a portfolio of agency partners to produce their varied types of work. This started decades ago with specialty shops taking on media and digital responsibilities, then events, social, content followed. Nowadays you even see multiple agencies doing TV project work for a single client.

While I understand why clients would want to work with experts in every arena, there is a benefit to having a lead creative agency oversee all of the work, to keep it unified and to maintain a consistent voice across every medium. At BBDO we strive to lend creative voice across all our clients’ work streams; one example of this working well was when we partnered with Firstborn to produce the “Portraits” integrated campaign for Mountain Dew.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, there’s no more useful piece of technology than the telephone.

These days the world moves so quickly, clients need us to work faster and cheaper and better and we fire off so many dozens or hundreds of emails a day. I find that communication can start to break down when people don’t actually get together in person or over the phone to discuss projects. So much can get lost in translation over email. The phone remains the ultimate killer app.

Jennifer Lederman
VP/Managing Director
BlueRock
2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Relative to postproduction, the trends of digital uploads and accelerated time frames are significant.

We’re on the cusp of the final transition to an all-digital workflow. Now that the virtual rubber has hit the road, we need to work on spreading the understanding of the cost and time implications of this trend.

Post companies have made significant infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the management of this media and digital workflows. The perception is that it should be less expensive because there is no longer tangible tape. But the reality of the additional footage shot, the uploading time of high-resolution digital elements, and the handling and archiving of that media has led to new costs and requirements of expertise.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
For BlueRock and Lively Group there has been a distinctive trend toward utilizing our multitude of creative resources in various configurations. We go from edit, to finishing, design, effects, and audio..and often back to edit again all in one day. Or one hour. This has become the new norm and I expect it to be requested even more to accommodate the changing landscape of agency schedules, budgeting, and client approvals.

Nick Litwinko
Managing Director
ShootersNYC, DIVE, BIGSMACK
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
I’m glad to see the continued trend toward storytelling and non-traditional advertising. I can name-check Netflix, Amazon, Google, and others that are entering not only the commercial space but also the entertainment arena. They are pushing the storytelling envelope in non-traditional ways. This has created what looks and feels like a great equalizer amongst all the different brands getting their message out. (This has leveled the playing field and pushed the accepted messaging models to grow beyond the typical :30 spot) And beyond that, it has opened up access to companies, brands and voices that might have been prohibited by cost or typical channels of access, so that many more of them can gain an audience.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Creative-savvy clients and brands are becoming more involved with all aspects of creative and production development — choosing the Director and production company, which allows them to take a leading role in the messaging. This is opening up new avenues for promoting brand loyalty and consumer connections.

The tax incentives being offered by New York State and Pennsylvania are changing the paradigm of TV/Film and Commercial Production and Postproduction. New York City has seen a huge surge in Postproduction and VFX with Networks, Studios and Production Companies taking advantage of these incentives. Our VFX division, DIVE (based in New York) has tripled our size to accommodate all of the new projects, including as sole visual effects vendor for HBO’s “The Leftovers.”

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
BMW was about to introduce a new vehicle in the US—the 4 Series. KBS approached ShootersINC with a unique challenge: create buzz on social media among BMW enthusiasts by creating two long-form videos. We found two BMW lovers and surprised them with a private test-drive called the “Un4gettable Weekend.” They reveled in the luxury and pushed the ultimate driving machine to its limits. The two winners started tweeting and posting on social media. BMW’s social media team also began posting updates to all their followers. Folks at Shooters even got into the act. Challenges were many and the timeline was tight, but with Shooters’ integrated production approach, we pulled it off. In the end we had two happy drivers and very happy clients.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
I believe the integrated production model will continue to be the desired approach. Our model has shifted from silo services – ie: one company for design/branding, one for post, etc – into a fully integrated production model that is Director- and Creative-focused. The one-stop-shop/integrated production model offers cost efficiencies and focus on the creative concept and production, which results in high-production value and a superior final product.

With the increase of Branded Content agencies, we find they like companies that also have experience with television and film projects as well. With our shows for The Food Network and others, we have been very successful with our integrated production model and our clients pushing this model forward.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
For work and in my personal life, I use websites and web-based platforms less and less. Apps and devices are becoming so advanced and user-specific that I find that all I need most of the time is my iPad and iPhone. When on set, we use 3D scanners on Tablets for VFX recording and capturing metadata, along with Settelite for logging VFX footage. Beyond that, note-taking with Goodnotes, creating Hotspots when needed, and then syncing everything with all computers for when I get back to the office gives me everything I need from a shoot. And, of course, my Uber app!

Kevin McAuliffe
Managing Director/New York (and Founder, Haveit.me)
Brand Arc
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
GE continues to do amazing work that is humanizing a company that formerly was anything but to consumers. Brands should pay attention to how SVP/CMO Beth Comstock and her team are creating a model where content and advertising amplify each other on many levels. At the other end of the spectrum, Chipotle is creating a solid portfolio of work. Components include “The Scarecrow,” a brand-smart animated short story, and the original series “Farmed and Dangerous,” a live-action comedy that sends up the dubious practices of Big Ag and Big Food. Both are great examples of a “content as marketing” strategy, and each brings a different lens to the work.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Companies are re-allocating their marketing budgets to the consumer digital experience and increasingly using content as story. This year, pure play digital properties such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Maker closed deals with budgets reaching nine figures as marketers committed significantly in this area.

This hit goes directly to the jaw of “traditional” platforms, though at this point, it’s only a bruise. If there is any level of success in these deals in terms of ROI, 2014 could be a harbinger of things to come in the foreseeable future. On the content side, trend indicators show that marketers are more proactively allocating budgets specifically for content strategy partnerships. Platforms that are paying attention have the opportunity to evolve and re-invent.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
Obviously GE and Chipotle. Heineken’s “The Odyssey” campaign was fun and got great global exposure. It gave real men a chance to show their “legendary behaviors” and launched a retail/on-premise program offering consumers a chance to be in a James Bond film, DJ at a music festival or be center stage at the U.S. Open. “The Westjet Christmas Miracle: Real Time Giving” was a meaningful 4-D experience that delivered bespoke gifts to lucky fliers. And because I’m a music geek, I’ll note that Norway’s Bergen International Festival rebranding effort was simply amazing. The festival’s letter “f” logo became a mathematical notation that took the form of music across physical design to marry classic and avant garde elements.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
I conjure up an image of the creative side driving and unlocking the business side. As content explodes across many platforms (traditional, mobile, etc.), the pendulum leans to how the business side adapts revenue creation, partnership, IP and distribution for new models. Creativity and content drive what marketers want most: an engaged consumer base. There was a time when throwing massive GRPs at an audience was enough—the job was done. While we still see that tactic, today’s consumer is far more discerning and looks for deeper and more thoughtful relationships with brands and commerce. These relationships come from a connection, not a tsunami of :30s. Content and campaign can be symbiotic when brands focus.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
Here’s three:
1. Soundcloud.com: This “social sound platform” allows artists to create and share music with audiences, either privately or publicly. Music fans can access and discover music, a simple idea that I think is awesome!

2. Quirky: This site/company makes invention accessible to anyone and brings real people’s product ideas to life: It’s about innovation, qualification and the democratization of ideas. It’s a brilliant concept that delivers on the promise of peer-to-peer networks and crowdsourcing.

3. Story: This pop-up store in Manhattan is an experience that continually evolves. The retail space has the POV of a magazine with themed “issues” that have included “Cool,” “Love,” “His” and “Wellness.” Merchandise is displayed in a gallery-like manner. I like to call it a “store-ganism.”

Justin Moore-Lewy
Partner / EP
HeLo
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
For us, the first half of this year has been hard but great, we had the most amazing of starts with the Bud Light Super Bowl campaign and following that some really amazing creative has come in globally, particularly from Sweden, Italy and England. This is on top of the regular interesting work from the big and medium sized networks in the US. Our experiential division has been growing fast, thanks in a great part, to the Gold Lion in Cannes and the AICP production award. It was also a proud moment for us all to premier our Lego documentary at Tribeca film festival and to make a significant seven-figure sale to Radius, The Weinstein Co’s boutique label.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Again the fact that brands via their agencies are looking to do something different, more than just a 30 second broadcast spot. Every week we see something interesting and highly creative outside of the standard boards. I feel that this business will only grow in the coming year or years. This is the trend we are setting our company up for.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
Wieden’s Lupak “Adventure Awaits” is beautiful and super smart. Our pals at Mother NY and their 1msqft campaign is vibrant new and interesting. Punchdrunk’s show The Drowned Man at the National Theater was as amazing an immersive theatrical experience as I have ever seen. These are a few of the highlights for me so far this year.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
Our feeling is that the 30 second broadcast spot, in the traditional sense of a multimillion dollar budget spot, is at best leveled off and as worst in sharp decline. All production companies need to be looking at how to capture the ever increasing brand spending which lies outside of the traditional arena. We are focused on trying to help the large agencies and networks educate the brands as to where the best value is, in this changing difficult sea. No one has completely figured it out but we are at least on a good course.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
I think the apps that are on the tip of everyone’s tongue are of course Uber and Waze. Both have in a strange way allowed us to traverse Los Angeles with a level of ease! Uber being fully international and working amazingly well in Cannes, Paris and London made this years European travel a breeze.

Tor Myhren
Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, Grey
President, Grey New York
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
One big trend is the desire clients have for the big, viral film. They are spending money and easing up on some creative guardrails to produce what they hope will stick in pop culture. These tend to be longer form (2-3 minutes) so agencies really get to flex different skills as storytellers. This opens up huge opportunities for the film lovers in our business. It’s fantastic—and when it hits, it really helps the brand.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
Mobile. Mobile. Mobile.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
My favorite idea of the year was “The Sound of Honda” from Dentsu out of Japan, mixing old and new data to make technology emotional. The “Sweetie” sex offender trap out of Amsterdam blew my mind. I liked Droga5’s Super Bowl crash with NewCastle. I liked Gerry Graf re-naming tropical storms after politicians who don’t acknowledge the climate crisis. My favorite Grey idea was “Unload Your 401K”, our subversive divestment campaign against gun companies.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
The convergence of different creative industries will continue at a rapid pace. Advertising sits at the nexus of Hollywood, music, Silicon Valley, fashion and gaming. How we choose to play with these industries, and what that collaboration looks like, will have a massive influence over the future relevance of our business.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
There’s an app called Dark Sky. It tells you, with laser-like precision, exactly what time it will rain, how much, when it will stop, drizzle, etc – but its accuracy is to the exact minute. Very helpful when running around from meeting to meeting in Manhattan.

Darcy Parsons
Founder and Executive Producer
Brewster Parsons, Inc.
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
So far, the Super Bowl, the Oscars and the World Cup have created the motivation for some of this year’s best creative work.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
As a postproduction company, we are being asked to package more often. Another trend is, our clients are now sometimes advertising departments within the client companies themselves. Two years ago that just did not happen. As the business evolves, it seems there is room and relevance for all the different ways of creating ads to co-exist.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
We enjoyed working on Radio Shack for the Super Bowl and Beats by Dre for the World Cup, along with some nice work we have done for Chevrolet.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
As the economy continues to improve and advertising continues to expand with the tech revolution, it feels like there will be an abundance of work. Creatively it is an exciting time because each year there so many new ways to express ideas. The technology is evolving so fast – we really have no idea where it will be in the next few years!

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
Check out Sketchbookskool.com. Danny Gregory created an online school to teach people how to sketch. It is inspirational on many levels for any creative person in our business.

Bryan Rheude
Co-Founder/Creative Director/Composer
Comma
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
I’m always partial to pieces that either tap into a true emotion or address a true need or situation. The recent Always ‘Like a Girl’ work would be a good example of the former, and the Samsung spot poking fun at the iPhone’s pitiful battery performance we fit the latter.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
The continuation of the trend towards longer form pieces; either in conjunction with a traditional TV campaign, or as stand-alone web efforts. Then along-side that, the increased targeting of ads and new ways to measure their effectiveness.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
The campaign from Grey NY to support the Unload Your 401k initiative was powerful. Again, addressing a real world situation in a creative and powerful manner.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
If I can talk about my own little corner of the creative universe; there’s a trend within the music world that I like. It is the increased use of composition as a collaborative, experimental process, rather than merely ‘shopping’ or doing a cattle-call for the right track. This takes confidence and trust on the part of producers and creatives, but it can lead to a musical score that is truly unique and communicates the message of the spot much more effectively.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
I’m still enamored with the old-school message boards. Sure, they can quickly become hostile environments which some people use as a platform to display how socially inept they are, but then you’ll find some gems that are true treasure troves of knowledge. There are a couple that I frequently use on the geeky music side of things and I’ll find myself sharing knowledge and ideas with people from all over the world. It’s amazing and inspirational.

Jay Russell
Chief Creative Officer
GSD&M
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
I’m a big fan of any work that can actually change my behavior. Chipotle has actually done this with “Scarecrow.” They have changed the way I think about food and have made it quickly accessible without the guilt.
I was expecting more exciting work to be born out of the World Cup. The Beats work was great, but nothing else has really made me jealous during the games.
And of course who doesn’t want to see Van Damme doing the splits to Enya music?

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
The trend of work that answers to a greater good and purpose is continuing to grow—that was clear at Cannes this year. It’s great—consumers are demanding more out of brands, and if that “more” is goodness and purpose, then I’m all for it.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
The Sweetie website to help capture sexual predators just blew my mind. I’ve never seen anything like it. I always try to imagine the first meeting—“We’re going to create a CG girl to lure pedophiles and catch them.” That project required bravery every step of the way, and they made the world a safer place in the end.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
I see the power of relationships coming back in a wonderful way—we are seeing that in our new business ventures. Clients seem to be looking for partners that will be with them for the long haul. We’ve been hearing that loud and clear. Obviously that’s great for creatives—when you can earn the trust and respect of your clients, that’s how you build great brands and are able to make brave decisions. It rarely happens on a one-off project.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
<<Self-serving alert>> It is a madhouse in Austin now during SXSW, so we created an app this year called Avoid Humans. It uses Foursquare and Instagram check-in data services and shows you which places are empty so you can escape the mayhem. Very simple, and it works very well. And I also still love Instagram as a communications tool. I love it more every day.

Paul Sutton
Director of Digital Production
JWT New York
2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
I’ve been amazed at the embrace of both first and second tier social media networks. Facebook and Twitter continue to see the most attention from marketers—embraced especially during the Super Bowl (Tide and Esurance) and the World Cup (Coke and Adidas) this year.

Also interesting to see the pairing up that’s happening across the industry amongst holding companies eager to embrace and develop new social platforms. Once-revenue-free networks are now seeking to generate revenue from their user base. Since January, Omnicom has signed a deal with Instagram, and Dentsu is working with Pinterest in Japan to further develop that platform.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
Social will continue to be a rapid growth opportunity for brands reaching their consumers in new places. Brands will continue to try and outdo one another with relevant Twitter campaigns that push the envelope (sometimes with the potential for backlash, as with KLM’s tweet after Mexico’s World Cup loss).

Many brands have set up social media war rooms; Wendy Clark’s #AnyGivenTuesday speech at Cannes is a good example of staffing toward a culture of constant communication. Brands will also continue to work on building a base beyond just Facebook and Twitter and work toward more campaigns on Snapchat, Vine, Instagram and Pinterest.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
Funny enough, to answer this question I went to my usual news reader app to see what I had starred recently that would be relevant; then realized that the reader itself is what I should be sharing. Since Google Reader was shut down last year, I spent a long time trying to find a good way to keep up on news relevant to me. I tried many RSS aggregators and readers, but none has been as useful and informative as Prismatic. Instead of drowning in news feeds, Prismatic targets news from all over the Internet and shares what it feels is relevant to each user. You can choose to enter data about yourself or share your social profile and it then learns as you interact with it based on the articles you click on/star, or what you scroll through.

Erin Tauscher
Partner/Executive Producer
Splendid & Co. (formerly trio films)
1) What’s your assessment of the first half of the year creatively and/or what have been the creative highlights of 2014 thus far?
We started off the year with a very creative campaign for Southwest Airlines out of GSD&M. The creatives really trusted Ramaa Mosley’s vision and let her run with the creative. The same scenario happened on an Always spot we did for Leo Burnett last month. It’s incredibly rewarding when the creatives and the director get to riff creatively—it’s like watching a jam session with talented musicians.

2) What trends or developments would you point to so far in 2014 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?
We have had a handful of bids this year where a non-union company is in the mix. These companies can cut a budget by avoiding union crew rates and P&W and it’s a worrisome trend. It makes the playing field lopsided and discounts what seasoned talent can bring versus simply being the lowest bid.

3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
Creatively, I really responded to Lauren Greenfield’s “Like A Girl” spot for Always. Tony Wallace from Leo Burnett was in our conference room the day the spot broke and showed me the spot on his laptop. As a mother of two very young little girls it really struck a chord with me. I thought it was flawless.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
I sincerely hope the work continues to be about the creative and clients allow the creative process to happen without getting cost consultants too heavily involved. We are not an industry that can be defined like most in corporate America. When financial directives drive the creative process it’s never going to be a success for anyone involved.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
It’s not necessary a new app, but I’m a huge fan of Shazam. I shazam everything, it drives my husband crazy. It’s how I became a fan of the composer Rob Simonsen – he does a lot of music for Apple. I am hoping to hire him on a feature film we’re putting together over here at Splendid and Co. And for that introduction, I’ll have to credit an app. It’s a crazy, fun technological world we’re living in these days.

Marc Weigert
President
Method Studios
3) What work—your own or others’—has struck a responsive chord with you this year and why?
I love General Electric’s “Childlike Imagination” spot. It strikes a wonderful note that is part adventure, part fantasy, and part hope for the future. On the feature film side, I love “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. A very creative way of storytelling, both narratively and visually. On the TV side, “Cosmos” was a highlight for me. A visually stunning way to present scientific facts.

4) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2014 and beyond.
The business climate remains tricky. In my business—visual effects and postproduction—there is still a consolidation happening right now, and it will keep going. We’re all trying to find better ways to deal with the realities of doing business in a creative environment, and competing on a global scale. We want to deliver the best quality creatively, but have to do it on ever diminishing budgets. It’s easy to say that everything boils down to talent. But talent can’t exist in a vacuum and needs to be supported as well, by management, technology and strategic planning. So in order to strive, we have to find ways to be smarter and more efficient, while achieving the highest level of quality.

5) Tell us about one killer App, website, social media platform, user-generated site, e-learning site you discovered this year & how it brought something to your attention / taught you something so that now you can’t do without the resource?
I probably came late to the game, but for me, “Lifehacker” has now become indispensable. To just browse through the latest topics, tips and tricks is the highlight of my weekend (if I have one…). Once every few days, I go to my TED app. I’m always sure to find a new TED talk that lifts up my spirits or helps me understand complex issues I didn’t even know exist.

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